Heartbeat - Wilbarger General Hospital

WILBARGER
GENERAL
Compassionately Caring for You!
H ear tbeat
JANUARY 2016
Volume 5, No. 1
Tech has gift for taking care of people
B
eing the third oldest in a family of 10 children
automatically brings responsibility at a young age. If
your mother passes away and leaves behind children
ranging in age from 14 to 1, helping take care of your younger
siblings is not only expected, it is a given.
Nurse tech Rose Roquemore was 12 years old when her
mother passed away and she’s been taking care of people ever
since.
“I raised some of my younger brothers and sister. I’ve always
taken care of people. My family thinks I’m the grandma of the
family,” Rose said with a smile. “The family always comes over
to my house for holidays and things like that. I love it though.
I’ve always enjoyed taking care of people. One of my sisters
told me that was my special gift – taking care of people.”
Rose grew up in Vernon and worked at Tyson Foods for five
years before going to the North Texas State Hospital where she
became a certified nurses’ aide and worked as a nurse tech on
the medical unit for 10 years.
“I worked nights at the state,” she said. “If I was going to
work at the state hospital, I wanted to work nights. My husband
wanted me to go on and become a nurse. I like the part of
taking care of people, but I don’t want the other responsibility
that nurses have.”
As a nurse tech, Rose’s responsibilities include taking vital
signs, giving patients baths, helping patients to the restroom,
setting up their meal trays, and just listening to patients.
“I love coming to work and I never regret a day when I
come to work. Loving what you do makes it nice. I just leave
my problems at home,” she said. “I’ve always been a people
person.”
When her husband of 40 years, Larry who was an LVN, had
to retire from the state hospital due to his health, Rose quit
work to stay home and take care of him. Larry’s health issues
stemmed from complications from being a diabetic. He has
been on kidney dialysis for seven years and is on the transplant
list.
“We just haven’t gotten that call yet,” Rose said.
After three years of staying home, Larry’s health situation
stabilized and Rose started thinking about going back to
work. She stopped by the hospital one day in May to see if the
hospital would hire her.
“In May I will be here eight years and I can’t see doing
anything else. I love what I’m doing, but I never thought I
would be working at the hospital this long,” she said with
another smile. “But, I love the staff, patients and everyone. I
always try to do my best and do the same for all patients. I’m
Rose Roquemore, nurse tech, Med/Surg
always smiling when I enter a room and hopefully before I
leave the patient is smiling too.”
That attitude is one of the reasons Laci Danner, an RN on 3rd
Floor, nominated Rose to be the subject of a Heartbeat profile.
“You can tell a difference when Rose is on the floor,” Laci
said. “She makes sure everyone gets the best care whether we
have a few patients or a lot of patients. We fight to have Rose
as the tech on our shift. Rose is excellent at patient care and
she works well with all of the nurses. She lets us know when
vitals are out of range, but more than that she observes things
and lets us know when we might need to check on something.
She always makes sure things get done and is truly an excellent
tech.”
Rubi Guerra, LVN, said, “Rose is amazing and awesome.
Sometimes patients will ask for her. They don’t want a nurse,
they want Rose.”
Working in the health care field runs in Rose’s family. Along
with her husband being a nurse, most of his siblings are also
nurses.
“My granddaughter, Kayla, is going to Vernon College to be a
physical therapy assistant,” Rose said.
Her daughter, Shree, is the receptionist at the Walk-In Clinic.
When she is not working, Rose enjoys playing domino and
card games with her husband, as well as working in the yard,
walking, and watching football.
1
2016 to bring plenty
of new beginnings
here at WGH
J
anuary 1st was established as the first day of each new year
on the Roman calendar during the reign of Julius Cesar.
While this date served a variety of purposes to ancient
civilizations, contemporary cultures mark the transition from one
year to the next with elaborate celebrations to
declare health, prosperity, and good fortune over
people’s lives. In other words, people celebrate
the New Year as an opportunity for a new
beginning.
I like that. I like the idea that as we enter
2016, we cross the threshold with so many
opportunities, so many possibilities, so many
dreams just waiting to be captured. I like that at
the start of the New Year, we at Wilbarger General can heed the
ancient wisdom of Solomon when he penned these words “As a
man thinks, so is he…”, thereby using the gifts of optimism and
intention combined with sound operating principles to work with
our medical staff and Board of Directors to build a strong and
sustainable health system for our community.
Just look at what we already have planned for the new year:
Holiday time means food time
The holiday season brings special occasions, which in turn
usually mean food is involved. At least that seems to be the
case around the hospital. (Top photo) WGH team members fill
their plates at a barbecue lunch catered by the Branding Iron.
The meal was provided by the entire medical staff as a way of
showing their appreciation to our hospital staff.
(Bottom photo) Members of the Surgery Department enjoy
making their own breakfast burritos at the hospital’s Employee Christmas Breakfast. Home Cafe & Bakery catered the
breakfast. As a Christmas gift, all employees received a travel
coffee mug with the WGH logo on it.
 Cardiac Rehab will open in the first quarter of the year.
 The community walking and exercise trail will be finished in
the first quarter of the year.
 Our new Lab Director starts with us in January.
 Expansion of the Alternatives Program begins in January.
 Dr. Sesan Olotu will begin practicing at WGH in the third
quarter of the year.
 The Hospitalist Program is expected to be in place by the third
quarter of the year..
 We expect to have two additional providers starting at WGH
by the third quarter.
This is the time to ignite your passion and put it to work. The
great things that will be accomplished by our team in 2016 will not
be achieved by dreamers alone, but by the dreamers who “do”, by
those of us who operationalize our faith through action, remaining
steadfast through every circumstance to press on toward the
anticipated outcome.
I want to thank each and every one of you for choosing
Wilbarger General Hospital as the place to have a career. It is
because of you and your work with us that we are on a journey
to improve and grow our health system to meet the needs of our
community. It is because of you and your commitment that every
plan we have for 2016 will bring us to a broader base of prosperity.
WGH would be nothing without you!
On behalf of our Board and me, I wish all of you a wonderful
New Year. Remember -- Dream big, Believe big, Work hard, and
Watch what you can achieve! See you in the New Year!
HIPAA
Corner
Q: Are members of the workforce who are not involved in a patient’s
care allowed to review the patient’s chart out of curiosity?
A: NO! Only workforce members who are involved in the patient’s
care are permitted to review the patient’s chart without the patient’s
authorization. Reviewing the patient’s chart merely out of curiosity
would violate his/her privacy.
Claudia A. Eisenmann, FACHE
Chief Executive Officer
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T
Relay For Life to be held at WGH
he Wilbarger County Relay For Life event is scheduled for
early April and it is time once again to form our WGH Seals
team. This year is going to be extra special, as Relay For Life
will be held right here at WGH on our walking track. The event
will take place from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday, April 2, so mark
your calendars!!!
Team co-captains Kathy McClellan and Christina Schoonover
said members of last year’s team will need to register again, and
she encourages new members to join the team and join the fun.
To join the WGH Seals, go to www.relayforlife.org and in the
Search For Event box put in Vernon’s zip code of 76384. Click on
Relay For Life Wilbarger County. In the middle of the Wilbarger
County page there is a banner that starts with 8 teams. Click on ‘8
teams’ and a page will appear with a list of the 8 teams. Find WGH
Seals and click the join button.
Kathy said when you register it will ask for a donation, but
members do not have to make an individual donation. All money
the team raises from its fundraisers will be divided among team
members.
If you have problems when you try to register, Kathy said to
contact her or Christina and one of them will help you register.
–––––
Thanks to the many donations from our WGH team members
and the general public, Rebecca Braziel and Kathy McClellan
announced the annual Santa For Seniors project was another great
success. All
120 senior
citizens
who are in
the Meals
on Wheels
program,
along with
those who
are in our
Alternatives
Program,
received a
Christmas
gift sack.
Rebecca
said all of the sacks included a blanket or throw, socks, a
beanie hat, a scarf or gloves, along with toiletry items and other
miscellaneous items.
Both Kathy and Rebecca wish to thank everyone for their support
of the Santa For Seniors project.
–––––
We will be scheduling employee open enrollment insurance
meetings for early February, according to Human Resources
Director Alisha Nix. She said more information would be
distributed later and asked that all employees please take the time
to attend.
She said full-time employees who had not previously signed
up for health insurance would have the opportunity to enroll.
Also, if an employee was already enrolled in the health plan
and need to make changes, then this would be the time to do
so. Representatives from AFLAC will be here to explain the
Accident, Cancer, and Disability plans at the benefit meetings. A
representative from the dental insurance plan will also be at the
meetings. Also, Alisha said representatives from our Texas County
District retirement plan to be there.
Alisha said it was important to note that this would be the
only time for employees who did not sign up for benefits during
their initial enrollment period to do so. It is also the only time
changes may be done to current policies without a change in
status.
–––––
Donna Gillespie, Rehabilitation, received an extra-special
Christmas present this year as daughter Chelsea Gillespie made
her a grandmother for the first time. Siler Kay Hudson was born
to Beau Hudson and Chelsea at 10:19 p.m., Friday, Dec. 25,
2015 in Wichita Falls. The newborn weighed 8 pounds, 1 ounce
and was 20 inches in length. Chelsea, a former employee in the
Business Office, and Beau are living in Earlsboro, Okla.
–––––
Condolences to Nomie Crisp, Health Information
Management, who lost her mother, Elsie Irene Odom Vanek on
Saturday, Dec. 26, 2015. Mrs. Vanek, 95, was born in Vernon,
a daughter of the late W.A. and Pearl Odom. She married
Tommy Vanek on March 11, 1939, and he preceded her in
death in December of 1995. Mrs. Vanek worked at the Vernon
Manufacturing Company for over 30 years. After retiring, she and
her husband moved to Lake Nocona before making their home
in Breckenridge in 1989. Along with Nomie, Mrs. Vanek is also
survived by another daughter, Jo Ann Mann of Breckenridge; a
brother, Clois (Happy) Odom of Vernon; seven grandchildren; 22
great-grandchildren; and 26 great-great-grandchildren. Memorials
may be made to Solaris Hospice.
–––––
One new employee joined the WGH team in December. The
new addition to the WGH staff was Stephanie Billings, a radiology
tech, in Radiology.
–––––
Fourteen WGH team members will be celebrating birthdays
in January. Those with birthdays this month include: 1 – Rebecca
Moralez, Baylee Bogard; 3 – Alisha Nix; 4 – Mary Lou Goco,
Betty Seamster; 5 – Mandy Ford; 7 – Elizabeth Laughery; 11 –
Karen Oglesby; 12 – Leah Saylor; 13 – Doug Karcher; 22 – Tonya
Flynn; 29 – Susan Rosalez; 30 – Paula Rivera, Cristin Reyna.
Mark Your Calendar
Jan. 12 -- Med Staff
Noon -- Board room
Jan. 20 -- Lunch & Learn for Docs
Noon -- Board room
Feb. 2 -- Clinical Review
Noon -- Board room
Feb. 4 -- QAPI
Noon -- Board room
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A look back
at the f n
of 2015!
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